Preset radio buttons are common on conventional radios and are well known for use as programmable shortcuts to frequencies associated with favorite radio stations. Mobile devices that are capable of receiving FM radio transmissions are also known. Like conventional radios, these devices typically include options for storing frequencies associated with favorite radio stations and for quickly tuning to those frequencies. Unlike convention radios, however, many of these mobile devices are connected to data networks. As such, these mobile devices may send and receive data, and may provide access to the Internet through the device.
Because many mobile devices may simultaneously receive FM radio stations and browse the Internet, it is often desirable when listening to the radio on such a device to view the content of a web page associated with the radio station. The content of such a web page may supplement the radio broadcast with further details and information related to the broadcast, or provide additional information such as local news and weather. These mobile devices, however, do not typically include a means for accessing, in parallel, Internet media and FM broadcast media associated with a radio station.
To view web page content for a radio station while listening to the radio station broadcast on such conventional mobile devices, a user typically must tune to the radio station of interest and independently navigate the Internet to find a web site associated with the radio station. The user may navigate to the radio station web site through the use of a pre-selected bookmark for the web site, and may tune to the radio broadcast with a radio station bookmark; however, the user nonetheless independently tunes the radio and navigates the web in order to simultaneously listen to the radio station broadcast and browse the corresponding web site. The use of a preset radio button along with a web site bookmark requires the user to employ separate steps for controlling access to each media source. Such a process is time-consuming and more complex than necessary. Further, such a process is cumbersome when scanning multiple broadcasts that may be available in a certain geographical area. To address this shortcoming in such mobile devices, solutions have been proposed.
One proposed solution includes the use of digital radio services. Digital radio consists of radio broadcasts of data rather than analog transmissions. Because the data transmitted may include various types of information along with audio information, a mobile device receiving digital radio broadcasts may view content associated with the audio radio broadcast. Radio stations broadcasting digital radio, therefore, can transmit information, such as traffic, weather, and advertising information, simultaneous with the audio broadcast. Unless the mobile device is in communication with the Internet, however, the user is limited to one-way communication with the radio station. In other words, the user may be able to view information sent by the radio station, and may even be able to navigate through the information, but the user is unable to request different information or to interact with the radio station in two-way communication.
Another proposed solution includes the use of radio data system (RDS) technology. RDS technology includes the transmission of limited amounts of data along with FM radio transmissions. The data is carried inaudibly in one or more subcarrier frequencies that are part of the baseband transmission. The amount of data that can be transmitted is relatively small and typically includes information such as a program service name (PS), program identity (PI), or alternative frequencies for the station broadcast. Like digital radio, unless the mobile device is in communication with the Internet, however, the user is limited to one-way communication with the radio station. In other words, the user may be able to view a small amount of information sent by the radio station, but the user is unable to request different information or to interact with the radio station in two-way communication. Further, the use of RDS requires an additional antenna and tuner, which are not available on many such mobile devices.
For both conventional radios and mobile devices, when a user travels to a different geographical area, pre-set buttons or other programmable shortcuts to favorite radio stations are generally not applicable for the new geographical area. As such, the user typically scans through available frequencies in the new area to receive desired broadcasts and/or to reset shortcuts to desired radio stations. This process may be time consuming and frustrating for the user, particularly one who travels frequently. Further, the user may not fully appreciate characteristics of scanned broadcast stations located during the scanning process when only audio information is transmitted. For example, a user may not recognize station identity and broadcast genre for audio only stations—particularly when scanned stations are broadcasting advertisements during the scanning process.
Thus, a need exists for systems and methods that simplify broadcast media tuning on mobile devices capable of receiving analog and digital communications. Also, a need exists for systems and methods that simplify the scanning process for reception of media broadcasts. Further, a need exists for systems and methods that reduce, if not eliminate, the need for resetting station shortcuts to media broadcasts when traveling to different geographical areas. Additionally, a need exists for interacting with graphical content provided by broadcast stations while scanning for reception of broadcast signals.